Cane-loading apparatus



' Nov. 20,1923

J, FRITSCHI ET AL CANE LOADING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 14', 1921 2 Sheets-s 1 A Patented Nov. 29,1923.

aosnrn rnrrsonrnnn WILLI M E. noses-s; or nono LULu; .rnnnItronY or HAWAIL CANE-LOADING APPARATUS.

Application filed September 14, 1921. Serial no. 500,491. r i

To all whom it may concern: Be it kl'iOWlltllRt WQJOSEPH This invention relates to conveyors andi particularly to an apparatus of this 'chare acter primarily intended for use in the loading of sugar cane into cars directly from the field, although of course it is to be understood that the sameis equally well adapted for loading other material of a similar nature. A

The use of conveyors of different designs for the loading of sugar cane and the like into cars in the field is'well known and not broady new, but inthese previous types commonly used, the conveyors have been mounted on truck wheels, caterpillar tractors or automobile chassis, which conveyed them to and from their different loading posit-ions.

, The principal object of the presentinvention is to eliminate these various expensive means of transportation, and resides in a construction whereby the bulk of the .weight ;of the conveying.apparatus, while inoperation, rests on track sections carried by the car that is being loaded,'the outer or' lower end thereof being preferably pro- -vide d with a light frameworkor a steel -plate resting on the ground, it being desirable to have saidouter' end as lowas possible so that the cane will not have to beelevated while being piled on the conveyor. It isalso' contemplated to provide a horizontal con- .-veyo.rseot1on extending from the lower end, which Wlll' allow more room for the gang of loaders to throw the cane on the conveyor I lextreme upper ends of the upr ghts 1n withoutinterfering with each other.

Another object of the inventionisto con-- 1 struot and mount the rail sections carried by each'car so that they canbe-connected up to-the rail sections of the adjoining car,

thus permittingthe conveying apparatus to l lnrrsorir and lViLLrai'r Hoot-ms, citizens of the United I States, residing at Honolulu, Territory" of, 1 5 Hawaii, have invented certain new and usebe moved along fronrthe car that has been' loaded to the nextcar torbe loaded, means being provided to elevate andsupport the outer end of the conveyor duringthisoperatlon. r

Briefly frame members of structural steel or tubes mounted each side of a loadedcar, each cons sting of a series of parallel tubes or rods statedythe apparatus comprisesa 'palrof oppositely disposed inclined side,

having-their upper ends connected f by a i v transverse rodor tube and their outer-or lower ends secured to a" transverse steel plate or beam adapted to rest on the ground or upon supporting legs secured thereto; as i preferred. The upper end of each-inclined frame member is supportedupon vertically disposed standards,.the lower ends of each being secured to substantially horizontally disposed tubes extending and secured to the lower outer ends of the outside parallel tubes or rods of the inclined frame. The extreme lower ends of the vertical standards are pro vided with flanged wheels or rollerswhereby the inner end of the inclined frame is adapted to be supported upon tracks or the like disposed along the sides of the car with which the apparatus is to be used during the loading operation.

Moving overthe face of each ofthese inclined members is a conveying means coml prising a series of endless wire cables. or chalns running around sheaves or sprockets,

as preferred, properly disposed alongfthe' upper and lowerends of said inclined memhere, means being providedfor operating or;-

. rotating the sheaves.

Extending upwardly from each v standard. supporting. the elevated; end of the conveyor, is an upright projecting .above- Y said elevated end of the conveyor, theoppositely disposed uprights oflboth inclinedconveyorbeing connected together to. main tainsaid conveyors'inproper {relative posi-v tions during the operation th reon} The addition provided rwithirol-lei. sheaves ,by

means of which,together.with"ircooperating f of the supplemental conveyor cablesorcli'ains 11, the'opposite ends being'supportedupon sheaves or sprockets 13 freely rotatablei This shaft 17 may be] proved type and supported from the ground,

upon a shaft 17.

connected to the lower end of the main conveyor by a frame construction of any apby legs or the like 4:, similar to the inani ier of supporting the lower ends of the main conveyors. When this supplemental llOl'lZOI1 ta l conveyor is used the sheaves or sprockets 13 are keyed to the shaft 17, whereby said "shaft will be rotated so that by'securing'to niain conveyor.

said shaft the sheaves or sprockets supporting theinner ends of the supplementalconveyor cables,said conveyor will be operated by the supplemental conveyor to theinain conveyor may be hinged tothe lower end of said main conveyor, so that the same maybe thrown over on top of the main conveyor prior to the change of the position thereof, or said supplemental conveyor frame may be rigidly connected whereby the same will be'merely raised from the ground along with the main conveyorduring the elevation thereof, when it is desired to change the position of the main conveyor.

From the foregoing description, the opera tion of the apparatus, it is believed, will be perfectly obvious. When a car is loaded and. it is desired to move theconveyors, the.

lower ends thereof are elevated upon the operation of the winding drums 29 cooperat-.

ing with their respective cables 28, whereby the upper ends of the uprights 24 willbe drawn together, the conveyor frames. swinging upon their supporting rails as a center. The outer ends are thereby lifted from the ground and the whole weight thereof taken on the portable rails carried byjthe loading cars. The conveyors are then pushed by h and, or pulled by any preferred mechanical means, to a new position adjacent the empty car to be loaded. If preferred. theflanged rollers 8 supporting the elevated endsv of the conveyors may be provided with roller or ball bearings so that they'will move with the least possible friction,

With the above construction a whole train of cars may be quickly and successivelyloaded in a very simple and effective manner, requiring only the minimum amount of manual labor.

accommodate this arrangement.

What we claim is: 1. A load ng apparatus, compris ng oppositely inclined conveyors, means for con- The frame securing the necting the adjacent-ends thereof ll'l spaced relation, means for supporting the elevated ends of each conveyor for 'conjointlateral movei'ne'nt of said con'veyors', andmeans. for I raising the? lower ends of the conveyors.

A load ng apparatus, comprising oppositely inclined conveyors, means forcon- 5 meeting the adj acent {ends thereof in spaced frelation, wheels on the .elevatedends of the I conveyors, tracks engaged by the wheels to 7 permit conjoint lateral movement of said conveyors, andmeans for raising the lower ends of saidconveyorsp,

A loading apparatus, comprising op-' positely inclined conveyors, me'ansfor con neoting the ad acent endS thereof n spaced relation,; wlieels' on the elevated ends of the V conveyors, tracksdisposed laterally of the vehiclefo be loaded, said tracks engaging] the wheelstoperinit conjoint lateral movement of said conveyorsflwithrespect to the loading vehicle, and, means for raising the lowenends of said conveyors.

4-. In a loac ling apparatus, the combination with a loading car, of oppositely disposed inclined conveyors adapted to be positioned each side of said car, means carried by saidcar for inovably supporting the elevated ends of said conveyors, means for supportingtlielower outer ends of said conveyors when in operative position, means for raising SELlCl'lOWEl outer ends, and an independent driving unit carried by each con veyor. r,

5. In a loading apparatus, the combinaby the elevated end' o f each conveyor, tracks secured along each side of sa d car'upon which said wheels are 'movably supported, "means for supporting the lower outerends tion with a loading car, ofoppositely disposed inclined conveyors adapted to be positioned' each side of said 'car, wheels carried of said conveyors, uprights secured to and" extending above the elevated ends of each;

conveyor, winding cables connecting the uprights of the oppositely disposed conveyors for raising the lower ends thereof, and independentmotors for operating each conveyor.

6. In, a loading apparatus, the combination with a train of loading cars, of oppositely disposed inclined conveyors adapted to be positioned to each side of said train, track wheels carried by the elevated ends of each conveyor, tracksections secured along each side of each car upon which said wheels are movably supported. means for connecting the ends of the track sections of the adjacent cars of the train to form a continuous track, ineans'for supporting the lower outer ends of said conveyors when inoperative position, a horizontal conveyor-section con nected to the lower outer ends of each inclined conveyor, independent motors for op- I eratine'each conveyor. and means connecting the upper ends of the oppositely'disposed conveyors for raising the lower ends thereof toperniit the changing of the loading position of said conveyors.

7; A loading apparatus, comprising an inclined conveyor frame member consisting of a series of inclined rods, and an upper and a lower end connecting rod. and plate, respectively, vertically disposed standards supporting the elevated end of said conveyor frame, wheels carriedby the lower ends of said vertical standards for movably supportingthe elevated end of said frame from a loading car or the like, means for support ing the lower end'of said conveyor frame upon the ground, shafts carriedby the upper and lower ends of said conveyor frame, a series of endless conveying elements sup ported. by said shafts, a motor mounted upon said frame for operating the conveying elements, vertical uprights secured to and extending above theelevated' end of said conveyor frame, and a winding cable connected to said upri hts for raising the lower end of the conveyor frame to. permit the changing of the loading position thereof.

8. In a loading apparatus,the combination with a train of loading cars, of a pair of oppositely disposed conveyor frame members, each comprising a series of inclined rods and an upper and a lower end connecting rod and plate, respectively, vertically disposed standards supporting the elevated end of each conveyor frame, track wheels carried by the lower ends of said vertical standards, track sections secured along each side of each car upon which said wheels are movably supported, means for connecting the ends of the track sections of the adjacent cars. of thetrain to form a continuous track, means for supporting the lower outer ends of said conveyor frames when in operative position, shafts carried by the upper and lower endsof each of'said frames, afseries. of endless conveying elements supported by saidshafts, a separate motor foroperat mg the conveying elements of each conveyor frame, vertical uprights secured to and extending above the, elevated end of each. of

said frames; and winding cables connecting the oppositely disposed uprights of the .eon

veyor frames for raising the lower-ends thereof to permit the changing of the loading position of saidconveyors.

-9. In a, loading apparatus, the combination with a, loading car, of oppositely dis posed inclined portable conveyors adapted to be positioned eachside of said car, means positioned at the sides of said carfor movahly supporting the elevated ends of said conveyor, means for supporting the lower outer ends of said conveyorsfwhen in operative position, means for raising said lower outer ends, and anindependent driving unit carried by each. conveyor.

10. In a loading apparatus, the combina tion with a train of loading cars, of oppo sitely disposed inclined conveyors adapted to be positioned at each side of said train, track wheels carried by the elevatedends of each conveyor, track sections positioned at each, side of said train upon which said wheels are movably supported, means for JOSEPH FRITSCHI.

WILLIAM P. HUGHES. 

